I live in Georgia, and UA has pretty strong reputation here. I had some friends looking at it, but most went with Gainesville Theatre Alliance, which is a great regional program without much buzz here on CC. My high school drama teacher calls it the South’s hidden gem. It beats out UA on this list!
http://www.onstageblog.com/columns/2015/6/21/the-10-most-underrated-theater-colleges-southeast
Obviously, lists aren’t everything - it’s all about fit - but I am surprised that there’s never any talk about GTA around here since it’s basically where everyone from my area goes for theatre. I’m not sure what all your D is looking for (I know you’ve posted about it, and I think we’ve spoken about DePaul before; I just don’t remember all the specifics), but, if your list is getting smaller, it can’t hurt to check out another potential school.
If you decide you might be interested, I have a friend entering his third year in the program, and he is head over heels in love with it. If you’d like some firsthand info, he would be thrilled to talk about his experiences, I am sure.
@HannahMTheatre -that is an interesting read and useful for those looking to round out their list with some hidden gems. They have covered several regions and I hope they do more
@HannahMTheatre Thank you so much for the info and the link. I love hearing about schools that are not really spoken of here but have a strong reputation.
@Joyfulmama - As I have said JMU is a great program, but Alabama is ALSO incredible. They are churning out incredible talent!
Nick Rashad Burroughs (a grad two or three years ago) is taking New York by storm, and one of the best young talents I have ever met.
They have a current student, a young lady who is at the MUNY this summer, who is the total package. Sings, Dances, and is one of the most beautiful people I have ever met. They also have a young lady at MSMT with a slew of talent.
I heard a comparison to GTA/Brenau - and I can safely say that UA and JMU are both stronger programs (no offense to GTA) for MT.
I admittedly know less about MT than I do about straight theatre! I have friends at GTA for MT, but the one I’m close to who’s WILD about the program is studying acting and directing, and my other close friend entering the program this year is doing the same, actually. Both exceedingly talented, but neither particularly interested in MT. (Granted, that could just be because I’m more interested in straight theatre, so those are the people with whom I surround myself. But I’m no expert on the programs down here - I didn’t look into programs in the South for myself since I grew up here and was ready to get out. Just getting some more underground programs out in the open.)